


The Evil Count of Princeton-Plainsboro

by phinnia



Category: House, M.D. - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-28
Updated: 2007-10-28
Packaged: 2017-10-15 09:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phinnia/pseuds/phinnia





	The Evil Count of Princeton-Plainsboro

Chase loved Hallowe'en.

Their apartment had been decorated for weeks now: ever since the first hanging bats appeared in stores, hard on the tail of back to school supplies. When he'd been growing up it hadn't been celebrated much; it was a borrowed American holiday that never quite managed to fit right with the newly bursting buds and baby birds of springtime - and he claimed to be making up for it now. Cameron just smiled at his boundless enthusiasm - although she did draw the line at the rubber spiders mixed in with their glass jar of cornflakes - and tried to get into the spirit of the thing.

And she hadn't exactly _intended_ to take the next-door-neighbor's little girls around the neighborhood trick-or-treating, but they had a new baby and it would be a shame for Laura and Michaela to miss out. Not to mention Robert was so cute - bouncing down the sidewalk with his own faintly glowing orange pumpkin, vampire cape billowing out behind him in the brisk autumn wind.

They came to a familiar corner, and he turned onto the next street.

Cameron cleared her throat. "Uh, are you seriously thinking of going to House's?"

He shrugged. "There are other places on the street. Besides, House probably doesn't give out candy anyway - I expect he's giving out empty vicodin bottles with fortune cookie papers stuffed inside, or something."

She laughed and followed them down the street, taking Laura's hand to cross.

"Who's House?" The older girl asked, dogging Chase's steps and trying not to trip over her plastic ninja sword.

"The Evil Count of the village of Princeton-Plainsboro." he replied, taking her hand. "They tell stories about him."

"Like Beauty and the Beast?" Laura piped up from beside Cameron.

"Yep, just like that." Chase turned around to face them both, walking backwards up the empty sidewalk. He winked at Cameron and a streetlight caught the beginnings of a grin on his face. "Would you like to hear one?"

"Yeah!"

"As long as it's not _too_ scary." Cameron cautioned, trying to choke back a laugh.

"Tell us how he became evil." Michaela begged.

"Is there a princess?" Laura tugged at Cameron's hand. "I want a story with a princess."

"Well ... sort of." Chase replied, and began.

"Once upon a time there was a Count and he lived in a great white castle on a hill. He wasn't the nicest count in the world -"

"Far from it." Cameron murmured, mostly to herself.

"But he was very smart and very ... um ... smart. And he was very good at his job."

"You said smart twice." Michaela poked Chase in the side with her ninja sword.

"Well, he was very smart. And he was funny. Some people said he was lonely, but I'm not sure if he was or not. Anyway, one day he became very, very sick. And they called all the magicians in the land to try and make him better." He stumbled on an uneven paving stone, but quickly regained his footing. "But they couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because someone had cast an evil spell on him." Cameron broke into the conversation and was rewarded with a grateful nod from Chase. "They tried to put him in a magic sleep, but it didn't work. And no one has ever figured out how to make the magic spell go away. And so he shut himself in his ... uh, tower in the castle, and he's mean to everybody and has been ever since."

"He doesn't sound mean." Michaela scoffed.

"He just sounds cranky." her younger sister nodded sagely, delicately picking up the skirt of her princess costume and going around a puddle.

Chase tried not to laugh at that, but it didn't quite work. "I guess he is."

"I'm not scared of him." Michaela brandished her ninja sword. "Lemme at 'im."

Chase and Cameron exchanged glances.

"He's probably not even home." Cameron replied, trying to make the prospect sound less interesting. "And we don't want your sister to get scared."

"I'm not scared." Laura smiled up at Cameron. "If he's cranky, he probably just needs a nap an' he'll be all better. That's what mommy says about 'nessa."

"He is home." Chase sounded surprised. "The lights are even on."

Michaela marched up to the doorway (sword in one hand, plastic treat bucket in the other) and rang the doorbell. Chase dashed after her - as much as he didn't exactly like his ex-boss, he liked the kids and was a little afraid that House would bite their heads off. Possibly even literally. Cameron and Laura hung back at the edge of the steps, more than willing to let the others take the lead on this.

The door opened.

"Trick or treat." Michaela shouted.

"Do you have a license for that sword?" a familiar voice asked with a smile. Chase let out an explosive sigh of relief: Wilson was lounging in the doorway, dressed down for the evening in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, and holding a bowl of actual candy.

"Don't give that big kid any." House shouted from inside. "Unless he can come up with a confirmed diagnosis of giantism, and I know damn well he can't, he's way too old for this."

"You're even older, and you've eaten more than we've given out." Wilson retorted over his shoulder, winking at Chase and tossing him a couple miniature candy bars. "Didn't expect to see you here, Chase. Cameron."

"These are our neighbors' girls." Cameron replied, smiling back. "Their mom's at home with the new baby."

"Ah, very nice."

"Is that the evil count?" Michaela stage-whispered.

"Uh, no, honey." Cameron murmured, trying to shush her.

"Evil Count?" Wilson's eyes twinkled in the porch light. "Do I dare ask?"

"And you said there was a princess." Laura tugged at Chase's cape. "Where? I wanna see."

"Uh ... I said there was sort of a princess." Chase replied, his face reddening.

"I'm the princess." Wilson handed Cameron and Laura a couple of candy bars each.

"You're a _boy._ " the girls chorused.

"It's Hallowe'en, I can't dress up as a princess."

"Maybe we should be going." Cameron interrupted. "I think there are some more houses across the street. Say goodnight, girls."

"Goodnight!"

"'Night!"

"I hope the count feels better!"

"Maybe he should have a nap! Mommy says that when I'm cranky."

Wilson closed the door quickly, but Chase and Cameron could hear him laughing from the sidewalk.


End file.
